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When I went digital, I had a whole pile of film in the fridge that just sat there for a long time and eventually expired. If you (or your parents) have been into photography for a while, you’re probably in the same situation. But as long as you don’t expect perfection every time, even expired film can be used, especially for different creative projects using “alternative” cameras. The fact that it’s expired may even add an interesting twist to your photos.

April 26 marks the 9th annual Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, and what better way to use up old film than in a pinhole camera?

Making pinhole cameras out of everyday objects has been popular since the 1500s, and I’m sure you all have experimented with boxes, coffee cans, etc. While they certainly work (and some quite well), it can be inconvenient to have to load and unload film in total darkness, and figuring out how to get 35mm film to work can be quite tricky. Here are a few cameras that use 35mm and 120 film that can be loaded in daylight:

Pinhole Blender Cameras The film cameras from Pinhole Blender look like cookie and tea tins (with 2 dials on top) and come in small, medium and large format (35mm, 120 and 4×5). The small and medium format cameras can be loaded in daylight, but the 4×5 has to be done in total darkness. The small and medium format cameras come in two configurations: with one or three pinholes and the large format with three or six. Fun, easy to use and inexpensive ($20-$80), these are great cameras for those who want to try their hand at pinhole photography.

Holga Pinhole The medium format (i.e. uses 120 film) Holga Pinhole Camera is another inexpensive option ($60, which includes 4 rolls of film). It looks like a regular camera, but instead of a lens, it has a tiny pinhole with an aperture of f/192. You can use any 120 film you want - color, slide, b&w - and there is only one shutter speed: B (which means that the shutter stays open as long as you press the button). The suggested time is anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 minutes, so you’ll have to experiment with that. (There is an optional cable release available, which I think is a very worthwhile investment). You can advance the film as much or as little as you want in between each exposure, so if you want to try double exposures, just don’t advance it at all before taking your next shot, or if you are creating a panoramic shot, advance just a little bit, and the photos will blend together into one long image.

The Hexomniscope Camera This limited edition, state of the art, all metal pinhole camera is not cheap ($1,590) but the photos it produces are quite extraordinary - dreamy, wavy, distorted and beautiful. There are 6 f/180 pinholes (with 6 individually operated shutters) equally distributed around the camera’s cylindrical body which gives you 6 overlapping 60-degree images on 120 film.

Digital Pinhole If you have a digital SLR, there is a really easy way to turn it into a pinhole camera: get an extra body cap (around $3), drill a small hole in it, and use it as your “lens”.

And what about Worldwide Pinhole Day? Well, it’s an international event held on the last Sunday of April every year in honor of pinhole photography. People all over the world take pinhole photos of anything and everything and post them, good or bad, online. It’s not a contest, there are no prizes, but each year, a number of photos are chosen and included in an exhibit.